English Heritage forecasts a sandcastle summer!
Free Facebook competition combines technology with traditional hands-on fun for a summer of sandcastles – whatever the weather!
(for images, please scroll down to the bottom of this news release and follow the photo links)
Kenilworth Castle has been sculpted in sand on Scarborough beach to launch a sandcastle-building competition being staged by English Heritage this summer to encourage a revival of the traditional holiday pastime of building sandcastles.
As the ‘keeper’ of most of the nation’s castles, English Heritage believes the skill of creating castles from sand and water - a favourite beach activity since holidays at the coast first became popular - is in danger of becoming a lost art in the techno-savvy 21st century.
So by combining traditional with digital in a summer Facebook competition, English Heritage is encouraging everyone to head to the beach to build a sandcastle in the shape of one of its 98 castles - and to post a picture of their creation on the English Heritage competition site www.facebook.com/englishheritage, which launches on Tuesday10 July.
Facebook followers will be able to vote for their favourite picture, with a weekly child and adult winner each receiving free family entry to an English Heritage castle of their choice. Those seeking to create the perfect sandcastle can download step by step instructions and tips from experts Sand In Your Eye from the English Heritage Facebook page or its website – www.english-heritage.org.uk/sandcastles
When the competition closes at the end of August, the best junior entry overall will win a party for themselves and 11 friends at an English Heritage castle, complete with food, games and party bags. The best adult entry can enjoy a sleepover atDoverCastleinKent,PendennisCastleinCornwallorKenilworthCastle & ElizabethanGardenin Warwickshire or a castle ghost tour.
Visitors to English Heritage’s annual historical blockbuster Festival of History will be able to hone their castle-building techniques at hands-on workshops. The festival takes place at Kelmarsh Hall in Northamptonshire on 14-15 July, when Sand In Your Eye experts will pass on insider secrets for successful sand creations.
“English Heritage cares for almost 100 castles as part of the National Heritage Collection,” says Paul Pattison, Senior Historian for English Heritage. “Castles played many roles in our history and are an iconic element in our landscape. Why not celebrate that with sandcastle building on the nation’s beaches this summer so that it once more becomes one of the most popular cost-free activities for all the family.”
The competition is free to enter and as water is a key ingredient of a successful sandcastle, rain shouldn’t put people off taking part!
Anyone can submit a picture of a sandcastle they have built this summer on any beach in the world.
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Top Tips for Building Better Sandcastles from Sand In Your Eye
- Arm yourself with the right equipment – including spoons, a plastic knife and kitchen spatula
- Use as much water as possible to help stabilise your castle
- To make an arch between two towers, place your hand in between and put sand on top
- Always carve your castle from the top down
More tips from Sand In Your Eye are available in an illustrated guide, available on www.facebook.com/englishheritage or www.english-heritage.org.uk/sandcastles
Did You Know? Six Sandy Snippets
- One of the earliest recorded descriptions of English children building a sandcastle is in Conversation of a Father with His Children published in 1838. The sandcastle had a moat and the family used a white stick and half a sheet of notepaper for a flag.
- The Guinness World Record for the tallest sandcastle is held by American Ed Jarrett who built one in Connecticutmeasuring 37 ft 10 in (11.53 metres) in May 2011.
- Sand sculpting has been around for at least 700 years. The 14thcentury Indian poet Balaram Das was known for creating devotional sand sculptures.
- In June 2011 a German television channel created the longest sand sculpture for an infotainment programme. It was 16.96 miles long (27.29 kilometres)
- Sand is made of tiny particles of mineral grains from worn-down rock and shells. The composition of sand depends on the local rocks. The most common material is silica, commonly known as quartz.
- Children have been playing “I’m the King of the castle. Get down you dirty rascal” since Roman times. The poet Horace recorded the game’s chant in 20 BC: Rex erit qui recte faciet Qui non faciet, non erit.
Probably best played in the minutes before the tide destroys the castle.
Notes to editors:
The English Heritage Sandcastle competition site is www.facebook.com/englishheritage. The competition runs from Tuesday 10 July to noon on Friday 31 August. Anyone can enter a picture of a sandcastle they have built this summer. Facebook fans will be able to vote for their favourite picture each week - with weekly winners receiving free family entrance (2 adults + 3 children) to an English Heritage castle of their choice.
The winning weekly photographs will go through to the final, with the winning adult or young person receiving a sleepover for two people at Dover, Kenilworth or Pendennis Castle or a castle ghost tour for six (young people aged 13-18 must be accompanied by a parent). The winning child (under 12) gets a party for up to 12 at one of English Heritage’s larger castles (Dover, Pendennis, Tintagel, Scarborough, Framlingham, Kenilworth, Bolsover,Carlisle, Carisbrooke).
English Heritage cares for the National Heritage Collection
Members have free entry to more than 400 historic attractions including 98 castles – fromCarlisleCastleinCumbriaandScarboroughCastle, North Yorkshire toDover Castle,KentandTintagelCastle,Cornwall. Membership costs £47 adults, £35 seniors, £36 students, £82 couples, £56 senior couples. www.english-heritage.org.uk
The Festival of History takes place at Kelmarsh Hall, Northamptonshire on 14 -15 July
More than 2,000 historical re-enactors, performers and costumed interpreters will present live shows and interactive experiences covering over 2,000 years of English history. Sandcastle building workshops held by expert sculptors from Sandinyoureye are free to festival ticket holders and take place at 10.30; 13.00 and 15.00 each day. www.festivalofhistory.co.uk
For more press information, please contact:
Jane Lawrence or Gill Buttwell at Direct Public Relations
Tel: 020 7407 6882 Email: directpr@btconnect.com
